Do you ever think about . . .

Coming up with an invention that no one else have ever thought about? About designing, testing and perfecting it, then figuring out how to get the little widget produced, packaged, marketed, sold and shipped?

I do this from time to time. Actually, on our trip back from Memphis, Laura and I came up with an idea that we are going to pitch to Jeri since we know she has the skills to partner with us on this little baby, but I digress.

Someone went through the process I described above, and took the next step of actually following through. This is what they came up with. And it's not just for sale on the internets - Bakerella found this product for sale at the gift shop at the General Mills HQ.

Jeri - I promise - our idea is better than this.

This could be my second favorite sheep herding movie

I just noticed that HBO has made a movie based on Jon Katz's book, A Dog Year. Looks like it premieres this coming Thursday night.

I first found Jon Katz when he was writing the "Heavy Petting" column on www.slate.com. Several years ago he rescued a border collie with issues (is there any other kind?) about the same time Katz was going thru his requisite mid life crisis. When he figures out that neither of them is going to survive in suburbia, he moves to the country and gets a flock of sheep (which is exactly what I want to do when I have my mid-life crisis AND win the lottery. Right after I buy the big RV and hire a handsome driver named Rico - but that's another story.) Anyhow - that's what the book was about.

Jeff Bridges (who could also be my RV driver) stars and the preview shows him going ass over teacup in a herd of sheep. I have set my DVR.

Puppy Party

Spencer and I took a trip over the river and through the woods to Jeri's to visit with the puppies and Heidi, Sue and Dixie today. Here the pups are enjoying lunch.

It was quite a pleasant day (especially in Alabama in August.) We sat out on the deck and enjoyed lunch and conversation. Here is Miles telling Spencer all about it.

The butterfly tattooed Princess Tiger Mermaid

My great niece Avery just had her third birthday party. Here is a link to her aunt's blog entry of the day. I just had to share - indulge me some great aunt love.

Purina can keep their scoops at groups

The Atlanta showsite has the best food evuh!

They did me proud

Scout went BOB and Spencer doubled Q'd in Rally Exc B and Adv B for his second leg toward his RAE3 title.

This was a special win for Scout. Atlanta is my favorite show site. This was the first time to win here and was something I has always dreamt of doing. My only regret is that my travel posse is not here with us. On the other hand, that means I get away from here cheap because I don't have to buy margaritas for Laura, Jeri and Heidi.

Spencer was nearly a golden retriver corgi today, scoring 97 in Exc and 94 in Adv. He went in the ring completely cold - we haven't practiced a bit in months. I cost him 3 points on the left about turn. My command on that is "get around me" as I turn into him and point towards my right foot.  Today I just said "get around" (no "me") and pointed more towards the sign. So - he did exactly what I told him to do - he walked around the sign.  Boy deserves a better handler!

Good old Yankee ingenuity

Or, what to do when your dog dryer blows up.

This evening Cheryl and I sat around the showsite telling tales. She was telling me about how when she was showing Jojo at Crufts a few years ago, her dryer caught fire. She was not grooming at the showsite; she was grooming at the inn where she was staying in a small village near Birmingham where the show is held.

She walked down to the local hardware store and told them she needed something that blew forced air. The owner of the shop thought about it a minute, then said he thought he knew something that might work. He went to the back room and brought back a leaf blower with a broken nozzle (or whatever you call the business end of a leaf blower.)

Cheryl took the leaf blower and a roll of duct tape, then went back and taped the hose from her dryer to the leaf blower, and voilà - she had a dog dryer!

Just thought I would pass along just in case!

Another day at the dog show

Miss Scout must be about six weeks from going into season because all of a sudden she has gone nekkid.

BTW - whoever programmed the iPhone predictive speller is not from the south. It tried to change "nekkid" to "Nellie."

Is there anything better . . . .

. . . at the end of the day than to sit on the sofa with one dog snuggled close with her head in your lap, and the other dog spooned up against her with his head resting on her shoulder?

Sunday morning in Memphis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sy3ClXtDRQ

Sent from my iPhone

The pack is back

Scout came home last night from a short little road trip with all kinds of gifts for me. All of this came from the supported Greensboro shows, where Scout was BOS three days and BOB 2 days. The organizers (I believe headed up by Robin Honeycutt and Debbie Campbell) obviously did a great job in coordinating lovely prizes. I love all the pottery.


One basket had a fairy theme. We now have our own magical fairy wand and a small vial of fairy dust, which we will be using to cast spells on all those judges who need a little help.


And here is my favorite gift - the reunion breakfast:

Craftiness in process

I started piecing a cardi quilt. It will have a red, brindle, blue and
black. I started with the red first because I am missing a certain
little butterbean who will be home tomorrow.

Here is a small quilt I made a few years ago for Spencer to use in therapy dog visits:

Guess what? Scout is a sable.

Well - we already knew that. Scout's coat and nose color DNA test results came back:

Individual Tests Result Comments

C128E Canine Coat and Nose Color Test - E EE
C128A Canine Coat and Nose Color Test - A ayat
C128B Canine Coat and Nose Color Test - B BB
C128M Canine Coat and Nose Color Test - M EmE

Notes:
Genotype EmEBBayat: sable with mask, nose color - black, hidden colors - black-and-tan and lack of mask.

OK - all you genetic junkies out there - what does this mean? Any chance of making something other than red puppies? (Not that there is anything wrong with red puppies, but we would love the chance to have a little variety.)

Oh no! Spencer can never be President:

Can't think of a thing to post

Last week was my quarterly hell week. The last week of the first month of the quarter is always a hugely busy work week for me. So last week was a bunch of 12 hour workdays, come home, eat, sleep and go back and do it again. (Guess what falls during the last week of the first month of second quarter 2010?? The CWCCA National Specialty - yall have fun without me. Bummer.)

The weekend was pretty lazy - nothing all that exciting to write about. Miss Scout had a couple of nice wins in Salem, VA, but I was not there to see them, so not as much fun, and I am missing the little butterbean.

I did go to the movies - "Funny People." I knew it was a Judd Apatow movie with his usual suspects - but what I didn't know and was not prepared for - it's a drama, not a comedy like we have come to expect. And is it just me, or was does Seth Rogen look odd after losing weight?

So, just trying to come up with something to post - here's a stupid pet trick: Spencer drooling on the sofa until he gets the magic word.

Re-Thinking (or over-thinking?) the Show Meltdown

I am now thinking that Scout was having some neck and/or shoulder spasms on Saturday. A couple of folks at the show and at least one on the blog asked if she seemed to have any pain in her neck - and after she came out of the ring, we could not find any spots that seemed painful to her. Of course, cardis are such stoic little creatures, they really don't want to show when it hurts.

The next morning, a handler who had heard about Saturday but didn't witness it said that she thought Scout was holding her head differently when she saw her walking into the building Sunday morning. Then in the ring Sunday (video here), Scout had to gallop a few times to keep up with Cheryl - especially at the turns. This is unusual for her, and I think she may have still been having issues.

Today I had her chiropractor take a look at the videos (Scout and Cheryl went on to Roanoke VA from Greenville yesterday) and she thinks there may be something going on there. Dr B works with Cheryl too and is going to call her for more info and hopefully give her some ideas on what we can do go give her some relief.

Calendar Dogs

I had forgotten until I saw a display at the dog show, but the 2010 calendar with the pic of S&S (they are Mr and Ms May) is out now! I had to buy a copy. I see it is also for sale on Amazon.

And to be just totally obnoxious with my new toy, here are videos of hotel frapping and wallering. Forgive me - the new will wear off soon, I'm sure.

UPDATE on the weird ring behavior: After the show site cleared, we took Scout back to ring 11. Cheryl took her down and back and around and she flew around the ring like the good show dog she's supposed to be. Not a bit of hesitation or concern. This makes me think that it was not something physical about the ring - more likely a smell or something else in realm of things they see but we don't. I saw the judge later in the day and apologized to her. She said that Scout was not the only one spooked today. She judged pems after the cardigans and she said several of them acted strangely too.

Also, as soon as we got out of the ring we checked her from stem to stern for anything physical and found nothing. She and Spencer have been frapping non-stop this evening.

Not our finest moment

As a kid in my house, Saturday evening meant "HeeHaw" on tv, a countryfied version of "Laugh-In." One of my favorite parts of it was a sketch where they sang:

"Gloom, despair and agony on me-e!
Deep dark depression, excessive misery-y!
If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all!
Gloom, despair and agony on me-e-e!"

We are at a show in Greenville, SC this weekend. Today Scout went in the ring and did something I have never seen her do before. When judging was over, I was singing that song.

Scout has never lacked in the confidence department. She is one tough, spunky girl. She is a red bitch in every sense of the word.

So what the heck happened here? (The link takes you to YouTube. I don't want this clip haunting me on my blog, so I am just posting a link. The drama starts on her down and back, about 1:15 in.)

The behavior continued for the rest of the time she was in the ring. Once she got out of the ring, everything was fine.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Deja vu all over again

Today at lunch I ran out to get the oil changed in the Element. I pulled into the bay, and the guy looked in and asked, "Do the kids ride in that cage?"

Spencer gets a cookie

Oh - I now have the tool to overload my blog with cuteness.